I Don't Trust You

'You know what. I wasn't planning on doing this but it seems like she won't be convinced that I'm telling the truth regardless of how much I explain myself. Only by satisfying her fears will she finally feel secure about her boyfriend's safety. And... I also want to test out something,' he thought to himself. The second part was the more important part.

With his days being counted down with every passing second, he needed to hurry up and find the solution behind how to increase the number that would appear whenever he thought about it.

Taking into consideration all of the information he had about the system and how it worked, this test of his was a little messed up. It most likely had to do with sex and that love stat that was currently at -20 for Shinju.

If it wasn't for the incident with Hitoshi earlier and this opportunity being presented to him, he wouldn't have even considered testing his theory out with her.

Regardless of his personality, his face alone was enough to pick up most women that he wanted, and with his wealth, that number was even higher so he was planning on picking out someone single and getting in bed with them without any threats or blackmailing.

Unless of course, the conditions of raising his life could only be met when it involves a girl who already had a boyfriend.

If that was the case then not only was it messed up but Yasuo would be more inclined to behave like the way he was now — akin to the original albeit not as bad.

'I'll give her a chance to back out later. I'm not some twisted individual like the original Yasuo who finds pleasure in doing these kinds of things,' he thought as he entered the car.

As the car was turned on with the push of a button, even though the AC was on and cool air was being blown, a flustered Shinju felt like she was heating up.

The car seat was so comfortable and yet, she was so on edge that it felt like she was sitting on nails.

'I know this is what I was getting myself into with the offer but... how am I supposed to go through with this?' she wondered. Images of her boyfriend kept flashing in her mind as she inserted her address into the GPS.

Even though music was played, the ride was awkward, nerve-wracking, and scary, and it felt like Shinju had been sitting in silence despite the booms of the speakers in the car.

Once they reached the destination, Yasuo parked his car in the apartment's parking lot and he got out. He walked over to the passenger door and opened it up.

'Look at her. She looks out of breath and on the brink of having a panic attack,' he thought as he offered a hand.

Just like the previous day, she flinched at his movement.

But seeing the hand remain in place, she realized that he was offering her a hand to grab; she took it and he helped her get out of the car.

"Lead the way," he said while gesturing to the apartment.

A few steps behind her, Shinju felt like she was being followed by a tiger and took glances backward expecting to see a large creature there but to her disappointment, it was just Yasuo.

She would've preferred being followed by a tiger than Yasuo.

Entering the elevator, it was only the two of them in the metal box and yet, it felt like Shinju was in a crowded train; feeling claustrophobic, she was sweating profusely and only when they reached her floor and she got out of the elevator was she able to take a proper breath.

As she walked down the hall, she was counting down how many doors before they reached her as if she counting down to her death.

It was coming up too soon.

She wanted to turn around and back out.

But even the idea of turning around felt scary.

Backing out? Backing out seemed like an impossible idea. If she brought him all the way over here only to let him down, Hitoshi's bullying was going to get so much worse. She couldn't do that to him so even though she didn't want to, she kept walking forward.

Stopping at the third door before the end of the hallway, she chuckled nervously and said, "This is it. We're here," as she grabbed the keys from her book bag.

"You live alone?" Yasuo asked, making small talk.

But from her perspective, that question was less casual and sounded more predatory. Imagining that he was licking his lips when he was asking that question, a scared Shinju said, "Yeah."

Thinking back on his difficult times at university, where he had to share a room with four other boys, Yasuo gave a genuine compliment, "Nice."

Again, Shinju imagined him saying that while licking his chops.

That imagery made her even more nervous and her shaky hands missed the keyhole and she ended up dropping the key.

Clank. Clank.

Picking up her key, she tried a second time. Failing once more.

Clank clank. Clank.

"Gulp. S-s-sorry about this," she apologized, worried that Yasuo was going to misunderstand and think that she was doing it on purpose to delay the thing that he desired.

Picking up her keys a second time, she was about to attempt a third time when her hand was grabbed and the keys were removed from her possession.

"I'll do it," he told her which indicated to her that he was getting impatient.

Inserting the key, he unlocked the door and opened it. As if it was his home, he gestured for her to enter while offering the keys for her to grab on her way in.

"Hahaha..." she nervously laughed. "Thank you," she said as she walked through the entrance.

Doing the same, Yasuo made sure to lock the door behind him before taking off his shoes and entering. 

'Hahaha,' he laughed in his mind. 'How have I come all the way over here? I'm standing in her apartment.'

If it wasn't for the fact that the reason for following her was different than the fetish that the original Yasuo had, no one would've known that it was a different soul in the body. 

"I guess... welcome to my home," she said before nervously letting out a few chuckles as she removed her bag and hung it up on the wall. 

With her back turned to him, Shinju closed her eyes and tried her hardest to suppress this feeling in her stomach that was growing like a parasite.

It felt like she was upside down, her left was now her right, and vice versa.

She was tempted to go and grab medications for a stomach ache but knew that wouldn't help her so she took quick breaths, trying to mediate her heart rate which failed.

Sensing that time was running out while she was running around in circles trying to calm herself down, she had no choice but to turn around and face the source of this feeling — Otsuka Yasuo.

When she turned around, she saw that he was sitting on her sofa with his legs crossed.

"Take your time," he said earnestly but she could only hear it as sarcasm. 

Biting down on her bottom lip, Shinju felt repulsed at how cruel this man was.

Why?

Why was he like this?

Why couldn't he be like other people and just date a single girl? Or if he couldn't commit himself, why doesn't he just have friends with benefits? There are surely thousands of girls willing to have sex with him without the need to date. Why was he obsessed with only girls who have boyfriends, going as far as using his bullying as a means of blackmail?

'She looks like she's staring at a serial killer who killed her parents,' Yasuo thought. Watching her expressions, he was about to stand up and take the initiative of backing out when she suddenly got down on her knees.

She dragged herself forward until she was only a foot away from his legs.

He watched in silence as she kneeled before him, her head down in shame.

After what felt like hours even though it was mere seconds, she looked up at him with a tear formed in her eye, "Please. Let's just get this over with. I feel disgusted already. D-d-do what you want with me and satisfy that twisted fetish of yours."

Sighing, Yasuo gently placed his thumb on her face and used it to wipe away the tear.

"Listen closely. I honestly meant what I told you yesterday."

There was no change in her face as if the words he was saying weren't even registering.

"I don't feel like bullying him or anyone else. What happened earlier this morning was a misunderstanding."

In one ear. Out the other.

"You can get up, I'll leave, act like none of this happened, and your boyfriend will be safe. I promise."

Even though this choice of his could spell his death, he wasn't comfortable with forcing someone to go through with something that they were treating like the end of the world.

She wasn't moving.

A full minute passed and she still didn't move or say a word. She just continued looking at him while kneeling — her face full of dread and defeat.

Shaking his head, Yasuo was about to stand up in order to leave when she grabbed both of his hands and pulled him back down onto the sofa.

"What the..." he uttered as he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't trust you," she muttered. "I don't trust you. I don't trust you," she repeated, a little louder each time.

'What am I supposed to do? She won't believe me whatsoever. I'm offering her a way out, and she won't take it because she believes my promise is a piece of cheese on a mouse trap,' he sighed. 'Do I have to go through with it? Not even because of my ticking clock but just so she can live the rest of her life without the fear of me killing her boyfriend out of nowhere.'

"What can I do or say to convince you that I'm telling the truth? Because that's what I'm doing. I'm telling you the truth. One hundred percent the truth and nothing but the truth," he said.

"Nothing. I know you're lying. Stop with these games, please. It's nothing but unnecessary torment. Just take what you want already," she said with another tear.

Wiping it off for her a second time, he uttered, "I am telling you the truth but... if this is what it takes for you to feel convinced, then okay. I'll do it."

'I know this is reality. I know, but... I'll have to treat it like a novel or a game. Otherwise...' he was going to throw up out of guilt.

As he touched her bottom lip with his thumb, slowly tracing the shape with it — he was slowly convincing himself that he was no longer him but rather Yasuo.

The original Otsuka Yasuo.